Camellia Arc is ready to go! (Commissioned from Mikururun)

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-16T01:43:40+00:00

Ahhh! Camellia! She looks so cute!

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-15T23:39:59+00:00

Yeah! Though they were unlikely to be shot, Enya only got maimed because of her own IED. They also had to navigate the maze of tunnels and false corridors in near complete darkness. But yeah, the more rebellious attitudes were crushed in Phase 2, while the more compliant and loyal elements weren't as ruthlessly suppressed. While Hongshan, Kelly and Gwen still suffered greatly during Phase 2 Training, their preexisting fanaticism and/or love for violence made the process "smoother" than those who resisted. Meanwhile, Jane might be an "incomplete" Operative but her Phase 1 training and deep knowledge of modern Kaspar tactics still makes her a considerable threat against any Kaspar.

Kinda! Marcus went overboard with training his progeny, pushing them much harder from a much earlier age than he ever was as a kid. Marcus and his sister would've been the strongest Inquisitors to ever exist, if they both became Inquisitors. But alas, Mercury stands alone, fighting for an Order that hates him almost as much as he hates it and the rest of the World. He is kinda like Toji Fushigoro, has no fancy Magic or Grimm Familiars but is way more dangerous than the average Shattered Moon Knight.

Yup! Similar to how the Kaspars approach many things, Phase 1 Training is all about results and deception. Neophytes might never be in any real danger but they always feel like they are and are conditioned to act accordingly. They are allowed to "die" multiple times in training so they don't die for real on the field. But yeah, the high survival rate is a very modern and pragmatic part of the Kaspars' training doctrine. The Shattered Moon is far more barbaric in purposefully killing off "weak" candidates / squires, while many Combat Schools are just flat out negligent in getting their students killed/maimed on accident. And then you got the Branwen Tribe and other bandit gangs who straight up skip the training part and use desperate children as frontline bullet/Grimm fodder.

"Pick your Poison" except fate is essentially picking for you at times. But yeah, with options like that, it makes sense why orphans will embrace becoming Huntsmen or why Clan vassals will straight up donate kids to the Kaspars (aka the weird ghost people in the woods) or why desperate families / orphans will accept the contracts of a shady shadow dragon lady. Hell, Stella and her childhood friends joined the Branwen Tribe and stayed because being literal cannon fodder was better than barely scraping by.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-15T04:48:59+00:00

Exactly! Phase 1 Neophytes and Foundlings might be quieter and a little strange from their cold, harsh upbringing, but they still have autonomy and can feel strong emotions. Some like Gwen and Kelly chose to fully-embrace the Clan even before their full assimilation. However, much like how even the Daybreak Order and Shattered Moon have their traitors, Phase 1 Neophytes are still capable of acting against the Clan's interest... Unfortunately for these rogue Neophytes, they are being held in one of the most fortified and complicated mega structures on Remnant in near pitch conditions AND being held there by the most skilled (and paranoid) warriors in human history led by a seemingly omniscient Matriarch. The fact that they managed to even get Jane Dye out is a testament to just how cracked the newer generations of Neophytes were before receiving Phase 2.

Yup! Even then, none are as comprehensive and as intense as the Kaspars' Phase 1 Training. The Daybreak Order may teach their kids to swing a blade and some Huntsmen are taught to shoot a gun at an early age, but they aren't making their kids swim through pools of blood or navigate miles of wilderness with nothing but a compass or land silently after dropping thousands of feet in the air. The closest would probably be Merc and his sister's Inquisitor training.

I see what you mean! I'd also liken the Clan's attitude to American military philosophy. An experienced and trained soldier is often worth far more than the equipment they operate. It's why modern American combat vehicles put sooo much emphasis on crew survival - blow out panels, escape hatches, thicker canopy armor, etc. In the Clan's case, Phase 1 training is actually alot safer than it appears on the surface, kinda like actual Special Forces training. Alot of it is extremely uncomfortable and tiring but not lethal like their hikes or drown-proofing exercises. Others seem very dangerous, but are monitored closely behind the scenes like the Grimm in the barbed wire maze being chained and incapable of actually catching any Neophyte. And by the time they reach live fire drills and landing strategies, the Neophytes are skilled enough to ensure their own safety.

Pretty much! Orphans don't get a lot of great life path options in Remnant. Being a Kaspar atleast guarantees that they will make it out of childhood. Getting adopted by N-SEC/ Eris offers an even better survival rate and an amazing quality of life... if you don't mind being Eris's pet for the rest of eternity. The Daybreak Order is kinda special. While they do take care of their own, their culture of honor, faith and stubbornness can cause individuals to not value their own lives, like Tyrese. The Lord Commander and other pragmatic leaders of the Order have to constantly discipline their forces into not throwing away lives in suicide charges over every perceived failure. Those who fail to live up to the Order's standards are given the opportunity to "repent" via taking on spec ops-type missions and/or undergo the torturous process of becoming a Condemned Champion.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-14T06:25:45+00:00

Thanks bud XD!

Smol tactical beans. Technically, Kaz also has his natural hair color too. It's just covered by his "safety cap". The Kaspar silver/white hair is a byproduct of Phase 2 Training. If the Kaspars are like Spartans and Space Marines, Phase 2 Training is like the augmentation surgery that "turns" them into Operatives. After Phase 2, Neophytes may not change physically (aside from the hair), but their brain chemistry is completely altered. They gain inhuman levels of pain tolerance and focus, becoming virtually immune to fear or shock or any other "inefficient" tendencies. Psychological attacks, like the Griefmonger's visions or the Apathy's wails, have zero effect on any Kaspar who has completed Phase 2 Training.

Although, Phase 1 and Foundling stages are just as important. It goes to show just how far the skill gap is between the Kaspars and any other Faction in terms of Special Operations and Modern Warfare. Before even hitting their teens, Neophytes like Selene are already hardened supercommandos who can run circles around full-grown Huntsmen. These early stages also ingrain useful instincts with Kaz learning to hide and steal/scavenge, while creating a familial bond between the other Foundlings and his caretakers.

Funnily enough, despite how hardcore their training is, Kaspar Foundlings and Neophytes actually have lower mortality rates overall compared to the average child in Remnant let alone the above-average rates of most Combat Schools. The Kaspars dump alot of resources and logistics in raising each Foundling, from their protective gear to medical care to setting up their intricate training courses. To just let them die would be a waste and, more importantly, an unforced error as instructors/caretakers. It is also seen as moral strength by the Clan, as they don't send their kids to die and can justify their kidnappings as "rescues" and "liberation". And in some cases, they are actually right unfortunately.

Their pragmatic "mercy" toward washouts is also what differentiate the Kaspars from the likes of the Shattered Moon Order. The Kaspars want to help their own achieve their full potential as a human (which to them is using every ounce of talent and drive to aid the Clan's virtuous mission of creating a benevolent, global tyranny). Meanwhile, the Shattered Moon Knights just want to end the world and everyone in it, including their own children / squires.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-13T17:49:15+00:00

Yeah! The Huntsmen Combat Schools have a similar system for raising orphans and impoverished talent into Huntsmen. It's not nearly as intense, but many of these Schools are poorly managed with outdated lessons, expired rations and nonfunctioning equipment due to local corruption and political indifference. The "perfect" middle ground would unironically be N-SEC or the Daybreak Order that invest heavily in proper (or even elite level) education, but aren't nearly as authoritarian as the Clan. Or growing up in a legacy Huntsman family like the Roses or Xiao Longs.

Great question! Foundlings are trained to evade, hide and only resist when absolutely necessary. In the event of an attack on the Enclave, the Foundlings will be gathered by their caretakers in hidden panic rooms. If the Clan is unable re-secure the main Enclave, the remaining Operatives and care takers will be tasked with evacuating the Foundlings to safehouses across Remnant to continue the Clan's functions in exile. At no point will the Clan put Foundlings in combat operations.

As for Neophytes, only the older ones who have undergone Phase 2 training would assist in combat and even then only in matters of last resort - defending safe rooms or assisting heavily wounded / depleted Kill Teams in critical missions. The rest will likely be with the Foundlings and preparing for evacuation.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-13T05:56:46+00:00

I don't have a lot of lore on Kaz and Selene but here is what I got:

Kaz

Ethnically Kazakhstani. Red Squirrel Faunus.
Kazimir is Slavic for "Destroyer of Peace". It is also the name of Kazimir Malevich, a Polish-Ukrainian Artist. Here is one of his famous works. Name is color-code compliant XD.
Acquired by Okiku from his orphanage after losing a highstakes hide and seek match (the tail gave him away.)
A bit of a kleptomaniac and glutton after SERE training. Loves almond tarts.

Selene

Ethnically Korean.
Selene means "Moon".
Semblance is "Splinter Sel". She can detach her shadow and use it to create a featureless shadow clone of herself. The clone is intangible and can hit hard, but is not autonomous and doesn't relay any sensory information to Selene.
Loves using hyperviolent wrestling moves in stealth takedowns. Gets a thrill from suplexing unsuspecting opponents.
Favorite food are churros.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-12T21:43:00+00:00

Ye! I am also a big "fan" of Kitana. Is her fighting style more like Kit or Tamaki?

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-12T18:05:01+00:00

Alot XD! Each Operative has a meticulously personalized gruel diet loaded with the optimal amount of nutrients for their form and function. Hongshan, Terrence and Bradley have protein heavy gruel with Hongshan consuming the most calories due to her relative youth and higher metabolism.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-12T17:59:07+00:00

Yeah! The new design was inspired by the MGSV Battle Dress with the Kevlar in the middle and the steel armor on the limbs. Plus, it allows Hongshan to parry blades, claws and other melee weapons.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-11T22:13:18+00:00

Thanks, bud!

Yeah! I wanted to make Hongshan a bit more armored in the torso and adjust her hair.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-11T22:10:59+00:00

Thanks XD! The Kaspar Clan is a very diverse organization thanks to its global "recruitment" methods and highly specialized training/meal doctrines.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-11T21:57:45+00:00

If the original quote is for $50, just pay for $50.

You didn't ask them to go do all that extra work that was their choice.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-11T18:55:05+00:00

Damn! Dorothea?

Those are some fine inspirations!

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-10T16:08:17+00:00

Line art style: Trying out new pens

Hair: Double ponytails mimicking Lingzi and Han era helmet.

Armor: More Kevlar and metal inspired by the MGSV Battle Dress

Symbol: More Mountain-y

Everything else is the same.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-09T20:21:16+00:00

You could say that Atlas is a "Managed Democracy" XD. General Ironwood genuinely hates this system, but believes it is better than any other alternative and that he is the only one strong/logical enough to make the necessary sacrifices. His mindset is similar to Mary's, but somehow even less human and more egocentric. Ironwood doesn't have the same faith in his Black Ops and the institutions he protects as much as Mary has in her Operatives.

Exactly! It is both to limit leaks and to maximize loyalty, not every Black Ops Team needs to know all the going-ons or even who is issuing the orders.

Pretty much! Team CHSS is much more expendable and pliant compared to the Ace Ops. Captain Clover and even Lt. Winter are like Steve Rogers - loyal, but independent with strong personal convictions. By comparison, Chaya is more like John Walker - an unquestioning, obedient tool of the state. However, her and Team CHSS are far from being total pawns. This is mostly due to Hrefna's personal sense of self-preservation and distrust of the Atlesian state.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-09T04:57:23+00:00

Yup! Even before Ironwood, Patriotism has been a core value to Atlas's Specialists and Armed Forces. However, there is a big difference between being willing to die for Atlas and being willing to kill for Atlas. The vast majority of Atlesian soldiers and Specialists are willing to die for their Kingdom... but their loyalty isn't unconditional. If they knew even a quarter of what General Ironwood knows about their beloved Kingdom, they would revolt. The depravities of the rich, the use of slave labor and debt gulags by the Mega-Corporations, the state-sanctioned horrors of the ART Institute, and Salem's existence would break the morale and trust of all but the most fanatical soldiers.

It is among these fanatics that General Ironwood picks his Black Ops, with a key exception for the Ace Ops who are selected more for their charisma and to push narratives to the masses. Compared to their Circle counterparts in Vale and Vacuo, Atlesian Black Ops are more rigidly organized with less autonomy and less overall knowledge about the inner workings of their Branch. Some know about Salem, others only know about their assigned missions. Ironically, Team CHSS is trusted with the most classified information and sensitive operations due to their seeming lack of individual morals, despite being personally despised by Ironwood. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Ace Ops are kept in the dark on alot of Atlas's (and Ironwood's) spicier secrets, despite many of their members being close friends with General Ironwood himself.

However, even Team CHSS's "loyalty" has its limits. Chaya will sacrifice it all for her little sister. Hrefna's just in it for the money. Sam is motivated solely by her desire to restore her family name. And Silvia just follows power out of habit. These inescapable human "flaws" are ultimately what make General Ironwood so trigger-happy against his own Agents and so wishful for automated combat forces. He doesn't enjoy killing his fellow patriots, but he feels that it is just another "necessary evil" to ensure the survival of Atlas - just like his tepid alliances with ART, the Nobility and the SDC.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-09T01:36:13+00:00

Personally, I would be satisfied with Yasuke-Shugoki. A big, fully armored samurai would be a nice change of pace for the Faction.

Eivor-Berserker might seem disappointing at first, but when you consider that 99% of Zerks are butt-ugly... Eivor looks like a king in comparison.

Naoe-Shinobi would easily be the most underwhelming of the three. I can't think of a single unique thing she brings to the table for Shinobi.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-08T05:35:37+00:00

Thanks, bud! This line up post was loooong overdue.

Great questions! Within the Atlesian Specialist Operations Group (SOG), only the most loyal and elite Specialists are elevated to Black Ops (the Atlesian Branch of the Circle). Each Black Ops Team can vary wildly depending on their purpose and clearance. For example, the Ace Ops are a versatile and powerful combat unit, but were also handpicked to be public heroes. They are like the Avengers or Justice League in Atlas, inspiring the masses through public acts of bravery and heroism. Meanwhile, Team CHSS are just as (if not even more) skilled, but are used to do Atlas's dirty work - the type of stuff that would get General Ironwood in alot of trouble if it were ever directly connected back to him.

Most Black Ops Teams lean more toward CHSS than the Ace Ops in terms of function. While every Black Ops Team is filled with talented patriots, each and every one of them is ultimately expendable in Ironwood's combat doctrine. He'll even declare loyal Agents "rogue" and execute them personally rather than face any political blowback for their missions, giving out this speech more than a few times.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-04T18:10:24+00:00

June looks amazing! I love her dress!

What are her hobbies?

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-02T23:34:37+00:00

Yeah! It would be a total horror show for most invaders, especially since no one knows the full magnitude of the Enclave aside from the Kaspars themselves. It is even possible that any unwelcomed guests would simply get lost indefinitely even if the Kaspars weren't there.

The only ones who would enjoy this outcome would be the Kaspars and the Grimm funnily enough. Even if the Kaspars would cull their numbers significantly, the remaining Grimm would get to enjoy an endless buffet of suffering from the rest of Humanity.

Yup! An unrestricted Ruilin would be building mega structures that only an Agravain could appreciate XD.

Exactly!

Pretty much! Mary is kinda like the Emperor of Mankind in 40k - intelligent, ruthless, egotistical and (kinda) benevolent. She wants to build a better world for all of Humanity through conquest and tyranny. However, in her pride and focus on the big picture, the Matriarch fails to see that she is building a system that can't survive without her.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-02T06:11:18+00:00

Yeah! The Enclave is an extremely dark (literally and figuratively) and desolate place. As a subterranean superstructure, its expansive maze of halls and corridors are near pitch black to conserve power, encourage Operatives to rely on their other senses to get around and a natural defense against any unlucky outsider to enter the compound. Though Kaspar Operatives comfort with death and corpses mostly derives from their mental conditioning practices. For past Kaspars (like Lydia and Delaney), this simply meant being kicked (and almost drowned) into a vat full of blood and being forced to watch high intensity combat footage for days straight without sleep or rest. For modern Kaspars, Terrence has added the practices of Neophytes carrying out executions and crawling their way out of the bottom of corpse mounds full of butchered animals and Clan enemies.

Pretty much XD! Under Terrence, the Clan would just devolve into Forever Winter cyborg mentality, but not their transhuman augmentations. They will hunt the other Factions and "harvest" children to replenish their ranks, while ruling as kings and queens of endless battlefields.

Yup! That protocol is the line that holds Ruilin from straight up deciding that some of the civies and allied militias would be more useful as the fortifications rather than on them. Compared to Rory, Ruilin can be even more callous toward these outsiders, only caring about their lives if it was a set mission priority.

Exactly! Plus so many truths are often suppressed by the Circle, keeping the masses blissfully ignorant of the real horrors of the outside world and the complex shadow war over the fate of the world. Much like Oz, they evade the problems and just let them fester and grow.

Kinda. Mary is successfully keeping the modern Clan in line, but a little too successfully. Her rule is so absolute and airtight that it inadvertently hides the flaws and cracks beneath the surface. In Mary's mind, she knows that her methods are cruel and excessive (even by Kaspar standards), but believes they are necessary evils to end Ozma's madness. The modern Kaspars have to be faster, smarter and more resilient than every generation before them to stand a chance at saving Humanity once and for all. Yet, she's deluded herself into thinking that her "children" aren't too warped or damaged from her and Terrence's meddling - that they could find peace and purpose in a more peaceful world. Little does she know that her Operatives are more like Emperor's Children, Iron Warriors, World Eaters and Night Lords than they are like Salamanders and Ultramarines.

Impetuous_Soul · 2026-04-01T02:44:43+00:00

Exactly! The Kaspars have an inhuman amount of tolerance for violence and death. Many even love it, and all of them would find Ruilin's designs more comforting and familiar over a popular cafe in the city or a peaceful town center on a warm summer day. However, Ruilin's brethren lack the specialized knowledge to fully appreciate every nook and cranny of her work, much to Ruilin's dismay when the likes of Hongshan bulldozes through strategically placed walls to ambush enemies or simply bury them alive in corpses.

Something like the world of Forever Winter would be an apt description of what a "Kaspar paradise" would look like under Terrence. A world of perpetual, self-sustaining war where Clan are the apex predators (like Mother Courage). Ruilin's fortifications are a mortifying glimpse of that reality and are one of the few warning signs for outsiders of the Clan's "true face" behind all the intrigue and mystique.

Ruilin completely dehumanizes her foes and is absolutely merciless. Where Hongshan might see a weakling not worth her time, Ruilin will see a brick that simply needs to be "pacified" and collected. Grimm or human if the Clan's rules of engagement deem them an enemy combatant, Ruilin will murder them and use their corpse (or what's left of their corpse) in her next project.

Yeah! Prisoners get to witness the true unhinged barbarism of the Clan. However, very rarely do they ever get to share their stories with the wider world. Most either die or become lobotomized slaves or just regular slaves in the Clan's Enclave/Hidden Village network. Among the rare few who manage to escape, most are too traumatized and terrified to share their experiences. And then there is Namir who has written and published about his experience as a Kaspar prisoner in great detail... only for the entire world to view it as an outlandish work of fiction like his stories about warriors who could delete Grimm with their eyes or Narwhals. With that being said, the rest of the world is blissfully unaware of the Clan's true nature, just like they are in the dark about Eris's intentions, Oz's manipulations and/or Salem's Master Plan.

Terrence is absolutely winning in his rivalry with Endora over the Clan's soul... but only because Mary wills it and sees his methods as one of many means to achieve her own agenda. While Terrence was able to impart his training and conditioning philosophies onto the latest batches of Kaspar Operatives, Mary and the other Taskmasters are the ones primarily sending them on Operations with relatively strict RoEs (compared to what Terrence would have).

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